Related Videos

Topics

For the thousands of aspirin-gobbling visitors to New Orleans’ Bourbon St., whose heads felt like they had an axe embedded in them this morning, it’s easy to identify what went wrong with their Super Bowl party week plans.

If only they hadn’t had that one last cocktail ...

Ok, maybe it was more like two.

Truthfully, maybe it was three. Or four. But who’s counting?

Besides, who knew guzzling all those rum-based Hurricanes would cause excruciating headaches?

Of course, for many of us who have been to the Big Easy, we’ve been there, done that. We know such pain is self-inflicted. Therefore, no sympathy here.

In the end, hangovers probably won’t be among the issues of what might go wrong for the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl. At least the Harbaugh brothers hope not.

But there are plenty of other things that might go awry for the two teams and Super Bowl organizers this weekend.

Without further ado, we present a primer on what could go wrong.

Things Could Go Wrong For the Ravens If ...

1. Joe Flacco turns in a mediocre performance like his awful 147 yard, two-interception showing in a 43-13 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Texans on Oct. 21. He’s certainly capable of it.

2. The offensive line is unable to keep the 49ers Smith Brothers – Aldon and Justin – from holding team meetings in the Baltimore backfield. Ok, so they aren’t REAL brothers. But they play like it.

3. The supply of deer antler spray runs out. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

4. Defensive leaders Ray Lewis (37) and Ed Reed (34) play more like their ages rather than their legacies.

5. They employ the ridiculous gameplan used by Green Bay Packers defensive co-ordinator Dom Capers in the divisional playoffs and refuse to guard the edges against the scrambling abilities of Colin Kaepernick. After watching Kaepernick run for an NFL-record 181 yards in that 45-31 victory over Green Bay, the most in a single game by a quarterback, how does Capers still have a job?

Things Could Go Wrong For the 49ers If ...

1. Colin Kaepernick plays like a guy who only has made nine career NFL starts. Has everyone forgotten his regular season performances in Seattle and St. Louis where he actually looked (gasp) ordinary? For the record, the 49ers lost both those games.

2. Justin Smith’s wonky arm starts acting up. When Smith was out of the lineup near the end of the regular season, fellow pass rusher Aldon Smith suddenly couldn’t get to the quarterback any more. These two are like a finely-tuned machine. When one part is sputtering, it effects the other.

3. The secondary is exposed like it was against the Packers and Falcons during the playoffs. Look beneath the surface of all this “San Fran’s defence is the best in the league” propaganda and you’ll find a unit that was torched deep in this post-season by the likes of James Jones and Julio Jones. Note to San Fran DBs: Joe Flacco has the best yards-per-attempt average of any QB during this postseason.

4. The game comes down to a field goal attempt by David Akers, the man who couldn’t kick straight (29-for-42, 69% in regular-season field goal attempts). Scott Norwood, anyone?

5. Coach Jim Harbaugh revealed his “favourite plays” over the years to his son Jay, who now is a member of his uncle John’s coaching staff in Baltimore. Thanks for the info, dad.

Things Could Go Wrong For Roger Goodell If ...:

He is recognized by the staff while ordering his gameday beignet from his favourite N’Awlins eatery. If the Commish gets a subsequent tummy ache, well, these people are still pissed at his ruling in the Saints Bountygate scandal. Maybe that white powder on your pastry wasn’t icing sugar after all, Mr. Commish.

Sponsored Links

What could go wrong for the Ravens and 49ers?

For the thousands of aspirin-gobbling visitors to New Orleans’ Bourbon St., whose heads felt like they had an axe embedded in them this morning, it’s easy to identify what went wrong with their Super Bowl party week plans.

In a Maple Leafs dressing room too
often stuffed with inflated egos,
personal agendas and a greater concern
for personal stats rather than the
overall standings, the arrivals of
Mike Babcock and, now, Lou Lamoriello,
are a sobering reality check for all
concerned.